Mental health expert warns social media self-help content is quietly damaging real healing journeys

Over recent years, social media and artificial intelligence have quietly assumed the role of de facto therapist for millions of people.

Long before they speak to a qualified professional, many individuals have already consumed hundreds of reels, motivational quotes, carousels, podcasts, or AI-generated guidance telling them how to think, feel, heal, forgive, detach, and move on.

On the surface, this appears to signal progress — mental health is at least being discussed openly. However, inside actual therapy rooms, a very different picture is emerging — one that rarely makes it onto anyone's feed.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Arouba Kabir, an emotional and mental health expert and founder of Enso Wellness, shed light on the less visible consequences of the self-help content boom.

The myth that healing is simple

Arouba explained that self-help content frequently promotes the idea that healing is straightforward and universally accessible.

Whilst that message carries an element of beauty, she argues it can also be quietly harmful.

"Self-help content often sells the idea that healing is simple and accessible to everyone," she said. The reality, however, is that trauma is not a morning routine, anxiety is not a mindset shift, and depression is not resolved by ten minutes of daily journalling.

"Healing is slow, messy, deeply personal work. Sometimes it takes months just to understand why you feel the way you feel, but social media rarely shows that part. It shows the after photo," Arouba added.

The pressure of constant comparison

Another damaging pattern that has emerged is the comparison of healing journeys. People are no longer merely comparing careers or physical appearances — they are now measuring their own emotional progress against that of others online.

Arouba recalled working with a young man who told her he felt anxious watching mental health influencers discuss their personal growth.

"Everyone online seems so self-aware and emotionally evolved. I feel like I'm behind in life," he said. As Arouba noted, the idea of feeling insecure about one's own therapy journey reflects the quiet but very real pressure that social media has created.

When self-help becomes a business

Perhaps the least discussed aspect of the trend is the commercial machinery behind it. According to Arouba, the online self-improvement industry is now worth billions of pounds, with courses, workshops, memberships, and masterclasses all promising transformation. Whilst some of these offerings genuinely help people, others are selling hope in a way that edges uncomfortably close to selling solutions.

Social media can start conversations — but it cannot hold your story

Arouba was candid about her own position within this landscape. "I say this as someone who also creates mental health content online. I believe social media can start conversations. It can reduce stigma. It can help people feel less alone. But it cannot replace professional support," she told HT Lifestyle.

Crucially, it cannot capture the full complexity of the human mind. A short video clip may spark awareness, but it cannot hold an individual's story.

Genuine healing requires pain to be witnessed and validated — and for that, real conversations, real listening, and real human support remain irreplaceable. Perhaps, Arouba suggests, it is time that message was stated far more often.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.